Riverview selects Ernie Tillman, Kareem Gahed to fill vacancies on school board
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The Riverview School Board tapped a former director and a newcomer to fill two board vacancies.
School directors selected Ernie Tillman and Kareem Gahed to fill board spots vacated by Jeanine Hurt-Robinson and Jane Miller.
The appointments are effective until the term ends at the board’s reorganization meeting in December.
Board members Maureen McClure, Brian Hawk, Wendy Wilton, Stefani Garibay and Jennifer Chaparro voted for Tillman’s appointment. Melanie Pallone nominated Erin Schuetz to fill the vacancy. Antonio Paris was absent.
Board members said they selected Tillman because of his previous experience on the board and because, unlike Schuetz, he is not on the ballot this November for one of the five four-year terms. They believed it would not be in the board’s best interest to appoint someone who is on the ballot for the upcoming election.
“Personally, Ernie has been somebody that I’ve learned a lot from in the years that I was coming to the board meetings; (he) was very knowledgeable about the finances. … He has a lot of skills to add to the board,” Wilton said.
Tillman, 61, recently served for six years on the school board. He’s now retired, but he said he can bring to the board knowledge with finances and the budget. He worked at LLI Engineering which helped when reviewing contracted work for the school district, he said.
“That was kind of a fun extension of the work I was doing,” Tillman said.
Tillman was born and raised in Oakmont and raised his two children through the Riverview School District.
Directors then selected Gahed in a similar 5-1 vote, with Pallone nominating Bridget Seery. Pallone said she nominated Seery because of her educational background and to have another director from Verona on the board.
Board members said they were attracted to Gahed being new to the area, noting he could offer a fresh perspective.
Gahed, 48, has children entering kindergarten and third grade at Tenth Street Elementary. His family moved to Oakmont three years ago, and he said he “couldn’t be happier” with that decision.
“The community has welcomed us so warmly, and, in my adult life, I wanted to give back to the community,” he said of his decision to apply for the school board post.
He said he has worked in the retail industry for more than 25 years and that his professional and personal experiences could bring a new perspective to the board’s decision making.
Hurt-Robinson’s term expires in 2025. Miller’s term expires at the end of this year, therefore triggering a special election in the fall for a two-year seat on the board. Those interested in the two-year position must complete the steps required by the county’s department of elections to be listed on the ballot.
In November, 10 people will be on the ballot for five four-year seats — incumbents Chaparro and Paris, Melissa Botta-Havran, Leanne Jacobs-Rohan, Isabelle McDade, Nick Paradise, Roger Pogoda, Colette Saxon-Kmetz, Schuetz and Seth Wermager.